ARLINGTON -- Aaron Judge’s first impressions of Cam Schlittler were simple: a quiet sort who seemed inclined to keep to himself, attempting to stay out of the way in a busy clubhouse. Over the past several months, the Yankees' captain has learned that there’s much more there.
What Judge initially clocked as shyness has revealed itself as intensity, showing up every five days with a trio of fastballs that crackle in the upper 90s. And when Schlittler wanders into trouble, as he did late on Tuesday, that’s when Judge says the right-hander “shows that he’s got ice in his veins.”
“He’s just laser-focused,” Judge said after the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. “He embraces every opportunity. The times I’ve talked to him, or we have moments on the bus together; he wants to be in the moment. He’s not scared. There’s no fear.”
Helping the Yankees to their 10th win in 11 games, Schlittler continued a stellar opening act to his season, outdueling Jacob deGrom while lowering his ERA to a razor-sharp 1.51 through seven starts -- the fourth-best mark in the Majors. Schlittler’s eight strikeouts matched his season high, yet the 25-year-old exited snarling about what he felt could have been better.
“He’s a superstar,” said Yanks reliever Fernando Cruz. “What he’s doing is really impressive -- throwing three pitches at one speed, but they’re going different directions. It’s something you don’t see too often in baseball. Right now, he’s one of the best to step on the field.”
Schlittler and deGrom were born 13 years apart in different parts of the country, but there are clear parallels: both late-blooming collegiate right-handers who enjoyed immediate success in the New York spotlight.
“He’s an elite guy, so it was really cool to go up against him,” Schlittler said. “He’s one of the best pitchers of the last 10 years. He’s a fun guy to watch. It was a really cool experience to go up against him.”
Cody Bellinger provided Schlittler with an early advantage, doubling home Judge in the first -- the only run the Yanks would manage off deGrom, who also completed six innings.
Austin Wells added a seventh-inning homer off Jalen Beeks, Wells’ third home run of the season. Judge provided crucial ninth-inning insurance by blasting a solo shot to the second deck in left field, claiming a share of the Major League lead with his 12th homer of the year.
In control for most of the evening, Schlittler’s hairiest spot came in the sixth. Brandon Nimmo stroked a leadoff single and Schlittler issued a four-pitch walk to Josh Jung -- the first four-pitch free pass he’s allowed this year.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone never flinched, sending pitching coach Matt Blake to the mound to offer Schlittler a breather.
“As long as he’s not struggling or it’s a night where he’s particularly fatigued,” Boone said, “there’s no one I’d rather have out there in that spot.”
Schlittler responded by striking out Corey Seager, getting Joc Pederson to pop out and inducing a Jake Burger flyout.
“It was just a good feeling to get out of that,” Schlittler said. “I’ve still got a lot to work on, so we need to clean up some things and take it into next month, and continue to be consistent with that.”
The late frames turned chaotic. A contest that featured plenty of early defensive highlights picked up an unexpected one in the eighth when Cruz made a sliding stop on the infield grass and tossed from his back to third base, recording a key out on a Pederson bunt.
“I knew it was do or die there,” said Cruz, who relishes reminding his teammates that he was once drafted as an infielder. “The game was on the line.”
A Ryan McMahon error opened the door for two Texas runs in the ninth, with Trent Grisham banging his left knee in pursuit of Danny Jansen’s run-scoring triple, but David Bednar induced Seager to ground into a game-ending double play.
Schlittler called the finish “electric,” but as he walked toward the shower after completing his postgame interviews, he was still grumbling aloud about the flaws of his start -- just further solidifying Judge’s revised scouting report about one of the game’s top young pitchers.
“The walks. That’s it,” Schlittler said. “I have to continue to get better, learn from it and take it into the next one.”